Walnut Creek Rudgear Park Pickleball Noise Dispute Enters Year 4

The legal and neighborhood dispute over pickleball noise at Rudgear Park in Walnut Creek has entered its fourth year, pitting homeowners along Dapplegray Lane against the City of Walnut Creek over 8 outdoor courts built where 2 tennis courts previously stood (Hoodline).

According to an amended complaint dated May 1, 2025, residences on Dapplegray Lane sit between 50 and 90 feet from the 8 pickleball courts at Rudgear Park. The filing alleges that play at the park produces sound levels reaching up to 88 decibels and continues for up to 14 hours a day on weekends during the summer months. Neighbors contend in the complaint that the sustained sound has made backyards and patios difficult to use, interfered with conversations inside and outside their houses, and affected property values (Hoodline).

2022 City Council Agenda Report, Petition From 42 Neighbors, and Stewart Avenue Comparison

Homeowner Judy Wobleski, who purchased her residence on Dapplegray Lane in 1979 when Rudgear Park held two tennis courts, said residents first learned of the pickleball conversion through a 2022 Walnut Creek City Council agenda report. Wobleski stated that the city did not conduct neighborhood outreach or mail notices to nearby properties before the courts were established, and that 42 neighbors subsequently signed a petition requesting that the city address the noise and parking pressures on Dapplegray Lane.

Court records cited in the dispute also reference emails from Walnut Creek Councilmember Kevin Wilk regarding Rudgear Park. According to those records, Wilk wrote in one message that if neighbors objected to the noise, the city could consider adding sound curtains, and wrote in a subsequent email that the Rudgear Park courts were heavily used and had not generated noise complaints.

Residents contrasted the Rudgear Park conversion with a separate city decision regarding tennis courts on Stewart Avenue, located roughly two-tenths of a mile from Rudgear Park. According to the neighbors' account, Walnut Creek decided against converting the Stewart Avenue tennis courts into pickleball courts after a sound study concluded that nearby homes would be affected.

City Hour Reductions and Separate Rossmoor Pickleball Project

Walnut Creek city spokeswoman Elizabeth Orcutt stated that city officials could not comment directly on pending litigation, but noted that the city reduced playing hours at the Rudgear Park courts by 20% about 3 years ago and closed the courts on 2 afternoons each week following discussions with the Walnut Creek Pickleball Club. Those schedule adjustments remain in effect.

While the Rudgear Park lawsuit continues, Walnut Creek has also reviewed a separate pickleball facility in the gated Rossmoor community. On March 27, 2025, the Walnut Creek Planning Commission approved Design Review and a Tree Removal Permit for the Golden Rain Foundation's Rossmoor Pickleball Court project at 1021 Stanley Dollar Drive. That project covers a 12,309-square-foot facility and includes conditions requiring acoustic fencing to limit sound reaching adjacent properties.